Issue Archive

Slip clutches are commonly used to
protect against overloads, but they
can solve many other problems as well.
Their applications include increasing
machine speeds, applying constant tension
to webs or wires, indexing a mechanism,
holding a hinged object in position,
controlling torque on capping or
assembly operations, and providing soft
starts or cushioned stops.

Residual bulk image (RBI) is a phenomenon observed in certain types of front side-illuminated charge-coupled devices (CCDs). A CCD is an electronic light sensor used in digital cameras. In simplest terms, the sensor exhibits a memory of prior exposures resulting in ghost images appearing in subsequent images. This deferred charge can cause a number of problems in cooled long-exposure scientific applications. At a minimum, the ghost images can create the illusion of a non-existent object (Figure 1, left). Equally serious, they can lead to significant errors in quantitative measurements required for photometric applications.

By John Gilligan
President
Boothroyd Dewhurst,
Inc.
Wakefield, RI
Product simplification is the discipline
of merging the greatest performance
functionality into the fewest
number of parts using the most suitable
and cost-effective materials and manufacturing
processes. It is an engineering
board game, in a way, answering questions
about a design and seeing a
Design for Manufacture and Assembly
(DFMA) database respond with quantitative
costs and reports. There is truth
and mystery in confronting an analysis
that says there are too many parts,
shows the team where, and then
launches everyone into the intimacy of
trial-and-error engineering, collaboration,
and fresh creation.
It’s a game that companies would ideally
play regularly, but tend to do most
vigorously when innovation and efficiency
are both in crisis. Cross-functional
product development teams have discovered
and rediscovered the phenomenon
of product simplification in meeting door-
die cost targets for their companies.
Along the way, manufacturers learned
that it is through the rigorous combination
of design and process innovation
that market desirability and engineering
elegance are achieved in tandem.
Yesterday’s innovative design ideas
and process choices are today’s competitive
standards. Snap fits and living hinge
techniques became great tactics for
innovation by Dell, HP, and Motorola.
Beyond plastics, engineers made other
daring moves from the DFMA game
board. Medical companies embedded
hydraulics and printed circuits into
structural supports to avoid individual
part costs, potential part failures, and
added assembly labor. Dell and HP continued
their design assault on unnecessary
cables, harnesses, and separate electronic
components, building new functionality
onto circuit boards.
Product simplification was helped, of
course, by creative supply chains. Finally
seeing an opportunity to advance new
technology, suppliers showed their OEM
partners how to use process breakthroughs
to put answers on a sometimes
blank work sheet. A designer’s habit, for
example, of creating molded ribs for
purely visual symmetry can add 30-40%
to the manufacturing cost of a component.
The expertise of both parties working
in transparent collaboration with a
cost analysis tool has unlocked significant
savings.
There are other catalysts for innovation
as well. Motorola University in Asia
teaches the integration of lean, Six
Sigma, and DFMA to internal design
teams, suppliers, and customers. They
recognize the impact of product simplification
on quality, performance, and
profitability in electronic products.
Recent benchmarks for cost reduction
are impressive. Knowing that their ap -
proach is a business, not just a technology
strategy, engineers sit in redesign sessions
with unit heads — even with presidents
— and use a business score card to
measure progress and institutionalize
best practices.
The benefits of product simplification
are spread through every “touch phase”
of a product’s travel — from the napkin
sketch idea, through CAD, production,
shipping, administration, service, and
end-of-life disposal. Innovation —
brought about through analytical costing
and simplification of the complete
pro duct, from initial design to final disposal
— is the future. Wonderfully, the
best industry innovators have already
embraced a full understanding of the
dynamic beauty of simplicity, but everyone
can, and should, play this game.
For more information on DFMA, click here.

Movito Electric Scooter
Tai Chiem
Melbourne, Australia
Movito is a scooter based on an electric inwheel
motor, a hubless front wheel, and a modular
base system. It is designed for traveling
short distances in and around the city.
One of the key technologies used to reduce
harmful emissions is an in-wheel motor developed
by Australia’s CSIRO. The design boasts
98% efficiency, and is lightweight with direct
drive that eliminates drive train loss. It has a
component weight of 6 kgs. The use of an inwheel
motor has allowed for an overhaul of the
scooter’s architecture, freeing up space and
weight to allow for a more dynamic shape and
form factor.
Powered by Li-ion batteries stored in the central
body, it is charged via a charging mat.
Another key technology is the use of a hubless
front wheel, offering greater precision when riding. Based on
technology developed by Osmos, the orbital wheel’s steering
pin is designed around a second large bearing in the hollow
section of the circular runner.
Movito features an integrated CPU and organic LED touchscreen,
allowing the rider to customize the scooter to their personal
preference, including connecting wirelessly to the
Internet, accessing GPS, and an iPod dock. A modular base system
allows multiple “bodies” to be attached to a common base.
Alternate bodies can be attached to a single base, or two bases
can be placed parallel with a larger body positioned on top,
turning the scooter into a two-seat mini-car.
The drive-by-wire technology eliminates mechanical linkages
between the steering; instead, it’s controlled by a tritium controller.
Comprised of lightweight materials, the main body is
composed of a carbon fiber reinforced composite. This material
is carried down to the base, which is made of carbon fiber
reinforced plastic over a steel frame chassis, offering added
strength and load-bearing capabilities.
For more information, contact the inventor at tchi6@hotmail.com.
Honorable Mentions
Ellipse Sf-X Bicycle
Florin Sacuiu
Peoria, IL
The Ellipse® Sf-X is
an all-terrain bicycle
with a front section concept
that separates the
steering system from the
damping system. The
suspension system is
interconnected with the
bicycle frame structure,
lowering the center of
gravity during braking, and eliminating the ability for the
bicycle to roll over. The rear wheel is loaded during the braking
process, so overall braking performance is improved and
the rider can stop the bicycle in a shorter distance. All of its
components, except the frame and front and rear forks, are
current production bicycle components.
Mountain Goat Aircraft
Bill Montagne
Montagne Aircraft LLC
Palmer, AK
The Mountain Goat aircraft features a wing that uses a
modified NASA airfoil to enhance attached airflow, stall, and
cruise speeds. The roll cage structure exceeds FAA standards
for frontal and rollover crash protection. More cockpit room
and seat belts for 300 mph reduce the possibility for injury.
It also features load capability and an extremely wide center
of gravity envelope. There is no center of gravity change
from full fuel to empty, and flaps and flaperons are fully
interchangeable. Wing assemblies and controls were
designed for a six-seat aircraft so that both aircraft have interchangeable
parts. Airflow
reattaches after stall abruptly
with little altitude loss. All
wing controls and accessories
are accessible during
preflight inspection by lowering
the flaps.

Efficient Air Conditioner
Lindsay Meek
Perth, Australia
This design improves the energy efficiency of a residential
air conditioner by replacing the traditional
reciprocating compressor (bore and stroke) with a higher
efficiency permanent magnet motor coupled to a
scroll compressor. Recent advances in permanent magnet
motors used in modern hybrid car electric drives
and wind turbine generation have seen the incorporation
of strong NdFeB magnets into the rotor, which
greatly improves the motor efficiency. The compressor
motor is then driven by a compact IGBT inverter stage
with a motor controller, so motor current consumption
can be optimized at the different operating speeds.
The other improvement that can be made is to replace
the traditional refrigerant expansion valve with a similar
scroll expander turbine coupled to a second permanent
magnet generator. The decompression of the refrigerant
gas through the turbine on its way to the condenser
allows some of the work used to compress the gas to be
recovered and converted back into electrical energy. The
generator is connected to a second compact IGBT inverter
stage with a motor controller, and can be controlled in conjunction
with the compressor motor controller to regulate the pressure
and flow rate of the gas through the system.
The two inverters are connected together via a common,
high-voltage DC bus, so the electrical energy recovered from
the decompression state can be reused by the compression
stage, improving the overall efficiency of the refrigeration
cycle. Finally, an AC-DC rectifier power supply is needed to
provide the main work energy for the DC bus to keep the cycle
operating. The above improvements should lower the power
consumption by at least 30%.
For more information, contact the inventor at lindsaymeek@hotmailcom.
Honorable Mentions
Coupled Water Tower/Wind
Turbine Controller
Andras Tanczos
Helsinki, Finland
A coupled water tower/wind
turbine controller stores wind
energy in the water towers of the
drinking water network. At
strong winds, the extra electrical
energy generated by the wind
turbine can be used to pump
water into the water tower. When
there is no wind, this energy can
be released with a hydro-turbine,
and the water goes back to the
wells. The pump of the water
tower and the hydro-turbine are
used to control the water level in
the reservoir. The electricity from the wind turbine is used
for pumping the water or for supplying the electrical grid.
The controller can also be installed on existing water towers
and water tanks placed on top of buildings.
Electromagnetic Rail Motor
Tim Cormier
Beavercreek, OH
The Electromagnetic Rail
Motor (ERM) can power
anything from aircraft and
cars, to artificial human
limbs. The ERM is based on
the modern rail gun. By taking
the two rails and forming
a ring, a continuous
rotational force is created
that is easily managed and
controlled. The speed of
rotation can be directly controlled by adjusting the voltage,
similar to a gas pedal. Once the ERM powers up, the motor
rotation will accelerate to its terminal speed. The blades act
as both rotational shafts and as propeller blades to help cool
the motor during extremely high speeds. The rail housing
holds the assembly together and keeps the rails in place to
counter the immense separation force.

Electronic Fog, Frost, and Ice
Prevention Technology
Don Skomsky
Integrity Engineering, Inc.
West Chester, PA
This electronic device prevents condensation, frost, and ice
from forming on any surface. It predicts when fog, frost,
and/or ice is about to form on a surface (windows, mirrors,
lenses, visors, etc.), and prevents it from ever forming by eliminating
the conditions that support it. It works equally well in
hot or cold temperatures, in arid to extremely humid conditions,
and even in the rain and under water. Applications for
the device include windshields; ski, swimming, and safety goggles;
HAZMAT, SCUBA, firefighter, and pilot masks; and
motorcycle, racing, and astronaut helmet visors.
Since it is entirely electronic, the device requires no sprays,
wipes, fans, or any other user intervention. Because it is predictive
and not reactive, it requires an extremely small amount of
energy. There are no moving parts and nothing to wear out. In
a sports goggle application (trademarked Zoggles™), the
device is built into the goggle itself, resulting in a goggle that
is lightweight, sleek, and stylish. When activated by a touch of
a switch, the Smart-System electronics maintains Zoggles in
“sleep mode,” conserving energy until such time that fog, frost,
or ice is about to form. Immediately, Zoggles awakens, performs
its prevention task, and resumes sleeping, until needed
again at a later time. All energy is supplied by small rechargeable
NiMH batteries, which power Zoggles for at least 8 hours
of extremely active use in very cold temperatures.
The device has been tested in numerous applications, the
most rigorous being during the ascent of Mount Everest in
2006, with a summit of 29,029 feet. In specially prepared units,
Zoggles protected the mountain climbers’ vision in the -35ºF,
60-MPH weather conditions without fogging, frosting, or icing.
For more information, contact the inventor at IntegEngg@erols.com.
Honorable Mentions
Ten-Second Advance Deceleration
Warning Device
Fritz Braunberger
Vision Works IP Corp.
Sequim, WA
StrobeWise™ provides an additional 1 to 10 seconds of
warning time (over and above brake lights) to following vehicles,
warning them of a slowing or stopping event. The system
monitors vehicle speed 1,000 times per second and
flashes a center-high-mounted amber strobe rearward upon
deceleration detection. It continually
flashes when the
vehicle is stationary, mitigating
stationary-vehicle
rear-end collisions.
The system
mounts on the
inside rear window
or externally on
rear-windowless trucks.
It retrofits on nearly all vehicles
made later than 1993.
Emergency Drop in Water Recovery
Preparation Unit
Anna Epelbaum
Management Services Co.
Champaign, IL
This device functions from solar
energy and/or portable fuels such
as butane and propane. The unit
may be transported to any emergency
site where it then begins to
process water once set up with any
water source within 35 feet. The
device loads water from rivers,
ponds, lakes, streets, or sewers, and
then filters the water. It uses
advanced ozone bubbles and ultraviolet
radiation, as well as activated carbon, to repatriate the
water into drinkable form. The water is then distributed in
RFID-coded one-gallon bottles. The empty bottle may be
returned to the machine for re-filling and re-sealing an
unlimited number of times.

Pediatric Vision Screener – Mark V
Kristina Irsch
Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD
Amblyopia, commonly known as “lazy eye,” is the leading
cause of vision loss in childhood, caused by misalignment of
the eyes (strabismus) or defocus. If treated early in life, especially
during infancy, there is an excellent response to therapy.
A reliable and effective screening technique that can easily be
administered by lay personnel is needed.
The Pediatric Vision Screener (PVS) can simultaneously
detect proper alignment as well as proper focus of infants’
eyes. The latter is determined by measuring the size of the double-
pass blur image produced from a point source of light. Eye
alignment is assessed by means of binocular retinal birefringence
scanning (RBS), in which polarized near-infrared light is
directed in an annular scan on the retina, whose nerve fibers
are birefringent, and the polarization-related changes in light
retro-reflected from the ocular fundus are analyzed. Due to the
radial arrangement of those fibers, a characteristic frequency
appears when the scan is exactly centered on the fovea, indicating
central fixation. Thus, by analyzing the generated frequencies
in the obtained RBS signal binocularly, the precision of eye
alignment can be measured.
To bypass the deleterious effects of corneal birefringence in
RBS, the screener incorporates a spinning half-wave plate
(HWP) in combination with a fixed double-pass retarder. Both
wave plates modulate the RBS signal such that a theoretical
improvement of about 3.86 times in RBS signal strength is
achieved for a representative data set of human eyes, using
computer modeling. Combined with a technique for focus
detection in a single handheld device, this computer-modeloptimized
PVS design promises to provide effective and appropriate
screening instrumentation to automatically identify
infants at risk for amblyopia.
For more information, contact the inventor at kirsch1@jhmi.edu.
Honorable Mentions
A Camera for Nuclear Radiation Inside
a Magnetic Resonance System
Dick Meier
Gamma Medica – Ideas
Oslo, Norway
A new camera for spectroscopic
imaging of nuclear radiation
(gamma radiation) operates in
very strong magnetic fields of
more than 10 Tesla. The camera
can be used inside a magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) system
for the simultaneous acquisition
of nuclear radiation and magnetic resonance images. The
camera consists of identical radiation imaging modules and
a multi-pinhole collimator. The system can be inserted into
MRI systems and allows one to accurately co-register nuclear
and radio images in space and time. The camera is based on
the semiconductor material cadmium zinc telluride (CZT),
which is almost insensitive to magnetic fields. Tomographic
images can be acquired without moving the camera or the
patient.
Pedicle Screw Compressor Distractor
Charles Griswold
Trinity Orthopedics
San Diego, CA
This surgical instrument
compresses or distracts the distance
between two pedicle
screws in order to get proper
placement along the connecting
rod, and thereby achieve
ideal vertebra spacing. A small
male collet at the end of the instrument snaps into a mating
female feature on a connecting rod. A Nitinol wire is actuated
through the internal diameter of the collet, preventing it
from disengaging. This firmly affixes the instrument to the
rod axially, while preventing rotation through use of keying
features. With one end of the connecting rod held in place
at the far-side pedicle screw, the near-side pedicle screw is
adjusted forward or backward along the rod using a hook on
the end of the instrument. The hook has a rounded end to
push (compress) on a pedicle screw delivery tube.
Alternatively, the hook can pull (distract) on the same tube.

Question of the Week

This week's Question: A recent study created by the Arizona-based Paragon Space Development Corporation says its life support system could help humans survive on Mars. The proposed Environmental Control and Life Support System, the company says,...